PURE MILK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1854, 13 September 1913, Page 9

PURE MILK.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT TESTS. SUPPLIERS CONTRACT. The methods followed by tho Public Health Department in testing samples of milk intonded for domestic consumption, and in prosecuting sellers of milk that falls below tho recognised standards, were severely criticised by a deputation which interviewed the Hon. R. H. llhodos (Minister for Public Health) yesterday afternoon. The members of tho deputation, which was introduced 'by Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., were: Messrs. A. Guy (secretary of the Wellington Dairy Company), H. A. Ward (Dairy Farmers' Co-operative Association), H. Bodley (Licensed Milk Vendors' Association), and H. W. Lawrence, F.C.S., a member of the Society of Publio Analysts, Great Britain. Sir. Bodloy said that the complaint of the deputation was that milk was sampled and reported to bo analysed, but was not analysed. They desired that no prosecutions should be laid until a proper analysis had been made. Ho objected to tho recognition by tho I Department of the specific gravity test, and made a lengthy statement on this and cognate subjects. At one stago Mr. Wilford intervened to remark that he understood Mr. Bodley to moan that when a case was taken to Court the prosecution produced a Government official, and also served with the summons an analysis, socalled, of tho milk. Tho magistrate looked at'the analysis, or whatever it was called, which had been served on the defendant, and said: "Well, that iB below tho standard; here is the Act. Fine!" Slack Methods. Mr. Ward said that dairy farmers laboured under a great disadvantage owning to tho slack methods of the Healtn Department in conducting its prosecutions. When a sample was taken from a farm it might bo any time from a week to seven months before a prosecution was instituted. The farmer thus had no chanco of getting an analysis made of tlio samplo of milk left with him. A farmer should be notified at once when it was decided to prosecute him. At present particulars of an analysis were only _ published m tne event of a prosecution. 'In fairness tho results, of analyses which were not followed by prosecution should also be published. Not only would this deter tlio farmer who was trying to water ' his milk, but it would encourage the farmer who conducted his business honestly. Ho urged that milk should be tested for temperaturo at country stations, and that if it .wero above the standard temperature permitted by the Agricultural Department, the farmer owning it should be prosecuted. Milk Testing. Mr. Lawrence detailed his objections to tho methods of testing employed by tho Department. Mr. llhodes: Do you not beliove In tho freezing tost to ascertain when there is water in tlio milk,? , Mr. Lawrence: I do, when the miJk is | perfectly fresh, before a _ considerable amount of lactic fermentation lias taken Pl Jlr. Rhodes: You understand that tho Government only employ this as a secondary test? Mr. Lawrence: It would be infinitely fairer to prosecute when tlio milk falls bolow tho chemioal test. Mr. Rhodes: In no analysis that I havo inspected has the cryoscopio test for water varied materially from the chemical tost. ' Mr. LawTcnoo: But tho chemical test does not show any water. It is only an arbitrary, standard that is .set up by tho Act that bears upon it. The chemical test shows no added water at all. It does not show. whether water was added or whether the milk was originally poor. ■ Mr. Rhodes: The analysis shows it bo far as I can understand. Mr. Lawrence: No, sir, I bog to differ. Only tho freezing test will show tho water. Proteotlng the Publio. Tho Minister, in replying, said that when analyses showing that milk waß below standard were laid beforo him lie had to allow prosecutions to proceed. Thero would be no difficulty about arranging that tho third sample' of milk should bo hold by an independent person. Tho'Department absolutely honest in this matter. It did not wish to show that the public was being served with adulterated milk. .It would much rather show that milk of good quality was being supplied. As to slack methods of prosecution, thousands of wore taken, and each miist wait its turn. It was impossible to publish the results of every analysis. If this were done, unless samples were taken very frequently, a dairyman might havo one good sample of milk taken and trade on that while selling inferior milk. He took it that every farmer had his cows tested on his own account! Mr. Ward: Oh, no. Mr. Rhodes: Then ho is not a good farmer. Mr. Ward. Then a number are not good farmers. Mr. Rhodes: I am a dairyman myself so I know what I am talking about. The proposal to tako tho temperature of milk at country stations was discussed at some length, but no definite conclusion was arrived at. ' Specific objection was taken to the procedure in a milk: prosecution case heard in Wellington last month, and the Minister promised to institute inquiries.